Mayor Michael Rama on Wednesday ordered law enforcement agencies to strictly implement ordinances that would ensure orderliness and deter crimes now that the Sinulog celebration is near.
“All the law enforcement arm, the Philippine National Police, the barangay officials, the BPAT (barangay peacekeeping action team), traffic operations, and everyone needs to be on board to strictly implement our ordinances,” Rama told reporters.
He also ordered the clearing of all roads from illegal parking and vendors.
Meanwhile, 3,500 security personnel will secure the 459th Fiesta Señor Sto. Niño and the Sinulog Festival, a police official on Wednesday said.
The Augustinian Friars and the Cebu City government on Wednesday sent-off the security forces to their respective detail areas as the 459th Fiesta Señor novena mass will start on Thursday after the Walk with Jesus.
Brig. Gen. Brent Madjaco, Police Regional Office-7 deputy director for administration, said the security forces that will secure the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu, the venue for the grand festival at the South Road Properties and the Sinulog sa Lalawigan at the Cebu City Sports Center are from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fire Protection and the Office of the Civil Defense.
“You are assured of the unwavering commitment of our security forces. And that we may be able to peacefully and orderly conduct the events for the Sinulog,” he said in a message during the send-off ceremony at the South Road Properties.
Head of the Augustinian friars at the Basilica, Fr. Nelson Zerda, said the Roman Catholic Church in Cebu is thankful to the police officers, soldiers, coast guard, firefighters, responders and force multipliers who enlisted to help the Fiesta Señor secure.
Volunteers from the Philippine Red Cross and different medical schools will also deploy their paramedics to give devotees immediate medical needs.
Philippine Army’s Task Group Cebu chief, Col. Erwin Rommel Lamzon, for his part, assured the devotees there is no reported threat for the Sinulog this year, but said coordination among the law enforcement agencies is strong to deter plans to disturb the peaceful festivity.
In a related development, the city council has yet to tackle a measure that proposes a city-wide curfew, which the proponent said could deter crimes.
Cebu City police deputy director Lt. Col. Janet Rafter said they are now investigating incidents of robberies, the latest of which victimized two women in Barangay Apas.
“We are conducting operations about these two suspects. The face of one of the suspects appeared in CCTV footage… The victims have filed their complaints because we need the perpetrators to answer for their crimes,” Rafter said. (PNA)
